Auto Tents

One thing that has amazed us has been the prevalence of auto tents in Quebec.  A number of commercial buildings even use a version of them at their entrances to keep the snow out and cut down on the wind coming into the building.

We know of at least one appartment block where it seems that every vehicle has its own tent.

Below are some pictures.

 

Serving with Joy

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29)

But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. (Matthew 19:30)

We recently read a devotional based on this passage. It was by Chris Tiegreen out of his devotional called “At His Feet”.

In the devotional, he talks about how churches do not want to say that we serve God with a reward in mind. The fact is that when we surrender all, we do have a huge reward awaiting us. While it may hurt to give everything up, the ultimate benefits far outweigh the costs. We cherish our friends, family and things, but following the Word of God and living the teachings of God are of much greater worth.

Giving up the things of this world can be difficult. Obviously, it is opposite of what worldly belief values. Our world honours those who strive to be the very best they can be in worldly terms. In a large way, those values do not match what the Bible teaches. Especially in terms of whom we serve.

To quote Chris Tiegreen – “Remind yourself that costly discipleship is really to our benefit – an investment with unparalleled returns. We are to humbly accept the extravagance of His promises.”

When you serve God do so as if you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. When that happens, the things of this world seem not so important.
Who else, can possibly promise a guaranteed return on your investment? The answer is simple – no one – other than Jesus Christ.

Change in weather

On January 28 I posted how the weather so nice in Sherbrooke.  I even took some pictures out our window.  Well, not thirty minutes later the weather totally changed.  I looked up out the window and I could hardly see anything anymore.

It was good to see this kind of change in the weather.  Some of the American students were thinking that the winter was already harsh enough.  I think they needed a jolt of reality.  I keep trying to convince them they need to put their tongue on a steel post outside.  They don't seem to believe me that nothing will happen to them.

Unfortunately, the blizzard was short lived.

Sherbrooke Art

il était une fois dans l'Est (He was once in the East)


Below are some pictures of very exquisite paintings on the walls of buildings in the heart of Sherbrooke. If you come down the one street at the right angle, it actually appears as though you could actually walk into the picture.

Just a Note

I sit at my desk trying to get myself motivated to study for a test tomorrow.  Frankly, I am feeling quite tired right now.  I am looking for excuses not to study which, of course, is not good.  So I took the camera and took some pictures from our apartement.

The other day it was around plus 10 celsius, and it rained, so a lot of the snow is gone.

Snowman

On my list of "must do before we leave for Africa".  Make a snowman.  Task completed with a help of Josh, the son of another missionary couple. 

This is "Fred"

typical day/ week

What does a typical day of language learning look like:

• We get up at 6 am
• We have formal class for approximately 4 hours a day

Then the fun begins, the additional requirements to make our language more comprehensive include:

1. Meet with a french bible school student to read the scriptures 15 for minutes 4 times a week.
2. Read school devotion program and write a small responce en francais daily.
3. View or listen to 5 hours of French media a week (movies like Narnia are great in french), french news etc.
4. Complete 5 hours per week of doing Rosetta Stone - a computer language learning program
5. Have ten - 7 minute french conversations per week
6. Do one French 'activity' per week, which is some type of social event where we hear lots of          French.  ie festival or curling event, etc.
7. Read French newspapers/journals or other reading material preferrably daily
8. Get homework done for the next day of classes and review the information for the following class to increase our comprehension of the material being covered.  On-line french helps are frequently utilized for comprehension and learning.
9. Memorization and more memorization of bible verses and dialogues for class.
10. Prepare oral presentations for class.
11. Occasionally go on a class field trip.

Take some time to have quiet time alone, and with each other in english, to grow in faith and knowledge of our Lord.

Make meals, do laundry, buy groceries etc. - that which is necessary for daily living.

Try to remember to laugh a few times a day.

Wednesday includes 1 hour of French chapel in the morning, 1 hour of French Bible training in the afternoon, 1 hour of ladies/men's time for prayer and devotion.

Orest meets with 3 men at our apartment 2 times a week to enhance the french conversation and work
on preparing their testimonies.

Being immersed in French, to learn the lesson takes a lot of time and effort.  Only by God's grace can we survive and succeed - thankfully.